From Neutrogena to Clarins

A couple of months ago I decided that I wanted to change my skincare regimen. I was already on my last tube of Neutrogena so I knew that it was time to start looking for a replacement skincare line. I had been using Neutrogena’s Oil-Free Foaming Cleanser for about five or six years. Although it worked and kept my face clear of breakouts for the most part, I feel like my skin was so used to it that it really wasn’t doing that much for me anymore. I’ve tried a couple of Neutrogena toners but I didn’t like either of them. So now I have started using Clarins products.

I received samples of their exfoliating cleanser, toning lotion and moisturizer from the spa that I go to every month. I tried using the samples first because Clarins is way more expensive than Neutrogena so I needed to make sure that I really liked it before I spent any money. I ended up loving the samples, so I bought a kit from Belk that included a gentle cleanser and toning lotion for normal to dry skin ($26.00; they have the same type of kit for people with normal to oily skin too). I had to buy the moisturizer separately ($49.50). The prices seem scary but you truly get what you pay for. I like the gentle cleanser that came with the kit but I really loved the exfoliating cleanser as well. So I think I’m going to buy the exfoliating cleanser ($36) and use it once or twice a week. I really fell in love with the toning lotion too. What I love about it is that it doesn’t feel like an astringent. Some toners can leave you with a burning feeling on your skin and you can feel ashy or taut afterwards, but this toning lotion doesn’t do that. I guess that’s why they use the word “lotion” in the name. It feels like your putting something on your face as opposed to stripping something off your face. The moisturizer is AMAZING and even though it’s in a tiny container, I know it’s going to last a long time because I can literally dab some of the moisturizer on my index finger and that’s all I need for my whole face.

Other factors that convinced me to use the Clarins products is the fact that I can buy them at different types of stores and the spa that I frequently visit uses Clarins products for facials. With the Neutrogena products, they are typically only found at drugstores and your Walmart/Target-type of stores. With the Clarins products, I can get them at the spa, at department stores, at Sephora, etc. Some people may not care about where they have to go to buy their skincare products but most of the places where I can buy Clarins products are places where I already shop and already have accounts with reward points. So it matters to me. The Clarins products that the spa uses are seven times more effective than the products that I can buy in the stores. So if I get a Clarins facial once every few months, the products that I use at home will get an extra boost because my skin will have some type of reawakening during the facial. That way my skin never really gets used to the products, which is what happened with Neutrogena.

I’m someone who can get very lazy about my regimens when I’m tired or just not in the mood and then I’ll either skip steps or skip the whole process altogether. But since I’ve been using Clarins, I actually look forward to washing my face. I feel happy, relieved and refreshed afterwards. I can’t say that I’ve felt that way or that my skin has ever felt that way with the products that I’ve used in the past. These new products have already uncovered some of the pimples that the Neutrogena products couldn’t pull out and gotten rid of them. My makeup is going on smoother and it looks better throughout the day. My skin without makeup looks and feels totally different from before. Part of the reason why I care so much about my skin now is because I’m getting married and my makeup can’t be on fleek if my skin isn’t on fleek too. But this is something that I will continue even after I’m married because skincare is important and should be an investment for everyone.